Blog

Clara now runs, dances, and sings along to Taylor Swift thanks to a new life-changing heart surgery

Posted on by | Patient Stories
Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,
The time had finally come. Only two weeks after a transformative heart operation at Boston Children’s, 11-year-old Clara Portnoy stood in a sprinter’s starting position on an open stretch of grass during her school’s field day. Surrounded by classmates and teachers, she was ready to go.  Born with a condition in which the structures on ... Read More
Tagged: , , , , , , , , , ,

Griffin’s return to the slopes and sea after kneecap dislocation

Posted on by | Patient Stories
Tags: , , ,
Whether cruising down a snowy trail or catching a wave, 18-year-old Griffin Srokose loves the adrenaline and freedom he feels when snowboarding and surfing. He used to enjoy lacrosse as well, but after dislocating his left kneecap during a game at the age of 14, his kneecap continued to pop out of place. By the ... Read More
Tagged: , , ,

Breaking new ground in cerebral cavernous malformation research

Posted on by | Research
Tags: , ,
Children with cavernous malformations face unique treatment challenges due to factors such as the malformation’s location, size, risk of bleeding, and the complexities of pediatric tissue development. To address these issues effectively, advanced diagnostics and precise interventions are essential. This is why Ed Smith, MD, and the team at the Cerebrovascular Surgery and Interventions Center ... Read More
Tagged: , ,

First-of-their-kind findings turn conventional wisdom about diffuse hemispheric glioma on its head

Posted on by | Research
Tags: ,
Diffuse hemispheric glioma, H3G34-mutant (DHG-H3G34) is a type of high-grade glioma that typically affects adolescents and young adults. The lack of targeted treatments contributes to a very poor prognosis for patients with these malignant brain tumors. But what if some of what we thought we knew about DHG-H3G34 turned out to be wrong? That’s the ... Read More
Tagged: ,

Kiersten finds new purpose after care for life-threatening cardiomyopathy

Posted on by | Patient Stories
Tags: , , , , , , ,
Being just three miles away from her cardiac care team at Boston Children’s makes all the difference in the world to New Jersey native Kiersten Rock-Torcivia as she starts her sophomore year at Boston College. She is now closer to the specialists who help her manage a rare and life-threatening cardiomyopathy.  Kiersten initially believed she ... Read More
Tagged: , , , , , , ,

Delving into the causes of attention deficits: Childhood adversity, lost sleep, and dopamine

Posted on by | Basic/Translational, Research
Tags: , , ,
New research on the effects of adversity in childhood ties together stress, sleep loss, and attention deficits later in life. It also uncovers some of the underlying brain biology and potential treatment approaches — while revealing a puzzling sex-specific effect. The lab of Takao Hensch, PhD, has long studied time windows during development — commonly ... Read More
Tagged: , , ,

Cerebral adrenoleukodystrophy: How the Cooksons dodged a devastating disease

Posted on by | Clinical Care, Patient Stories
Tags: , ,
Heather Cookson believes that if she hadn’t insisted her son Ricky get a brain MRI to investigate his frequent headaches, neither he nor his younger brother Jerry would be walking or living full lives today. “I just wanted peace of mind,” she says. “Ricky got the MRI, and that’s when the lesion was found.” The ... Read More
Tagged: , ,

Gene therapy for adrenoleukodystrophy: Studies find both risks and benefits

Posted on by | Clinical, Research
Tags: , ,
Cerebral adrenoleukodystrophy (CALD), portrayed in the film Lorenzo’s Oil, is a devastating disorder caused by a mutation on the X chromosome. Boys with CALD progressively lose their neurologic function and, if untreated, eventually become non-responsive. Most pass away within 10 years of diagnosis. Until recently, the only treatment for CALD was a blood (hematopoietic) stem ... Read More
Tagged: , ,

Catching up with Lucas eight years after his multivisceral transplant

Posted on by | Patient Stories
Tags: ,
Lucas and his mom, Heather, aren’t shy talking about his health journey and his multivisceral transplant. “If other families can learn something from Lucas’ story, it would be to keep advocating for your child and to trust that gut feeling,” Heather says. “Without organ donors, Lucas would not be here today.” Lucas was born with ... Read More
Tagged: ,

Emergency department or urgent clinic? Understanding your options if your child is injured

Posted on by | Health and Parenting
Tags: , , ,
Having an active or adventurous child often means comforting them when they come home with bumps or bruises. But when an injury is more serious, parents don’t always know where to seek the right level of care. The injury may look serious, but a trip to the emergency department may seem over the top — ... Read More
Tagged: , , ,